By Laurel White
Research projects led by Department of Kinesiology faculty members span from head to toe. Here’s a short overview of some of their achievements and ongoing work:
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- Susan Andreae develops and evaluates lifestyle change programs to improve quality of life and health in residents of under-resourced communities, including research on how to support families to engage in physical activities together.
- Karla Ausderau has published studies about the impact of autism spectrum disorder on family mealtimes, inclusive health research for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and impact of prenatal Zika virus exposure on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Jill Barnes is conducting a study on the influence of biological sex and age on brain blood flow and vessel function during exercise.
- David Bell is a national expert in sport specialization among youth, including the social, financial, and physical effects of such specialization on athletes and their families.
- Janet Branchaw studies innovative approaches to science education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with special emphasis on research training and mentoring.
- Lisa Bertram is studying how cancer patients and cancer survivors engage with and could benefit from physical activity.
- Scott Crawford is studying a possible connection between brain activity and hamstring strain injuries in athletes. Learn more here.
- Gary Diffee uses a rare technique to study single cardiac cells and learn more about the link between heart disease and diabetes. Learn more here.
- Dorothy Farrar Edwards researches quality of life and well-being in older adults, primarily by examining the impact of cognitive and physical impairment on performance of complex activities of everyday life.
- Beth Fields is launching Riding in the Moment(™), an adaptive horseback riding for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their caregivers, in Dane County at Three Gaits Inc. Learn more here.
- Kreg Gruben and his research team developed a specialized treadmill that enabled them to discover muscle coordination patterns that prevent falls and how a stroke disrupts those patterns.
- Elizabeth Larson studies wellness-promotion, including designing and evaluating wellness interventions with and for caregivers of children with disabilities, and with and for middle school students in need of wellness-promoting outdoor space.
- Andrea Mason studies the coordination of complex movements like moving two hands together to perform tasks or reaching to pick things up while walking to better understand how the brain controls movements.
- Kristen Pickett studies how meaningful physical activity can promote wellness for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, including through in-home activities designed to meet the needs of rural individuals who may not have access in their communities.
- Tanya Schlam recently published a study that found that immediately trying again to quit smoking after a failed attempt leads to greater success than taking time before another try. Learn more here.
- Brittany Travers has studied the brainstem in youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to better understand how its structure and function may be related to the severity of autism symptoms.
- Peter van Kan studies neural mechanisms underlying control of limb movement. The work helps guide development of neuro-prosthetic devices and brain-computer interfaces for motor rehabilitation.